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The governorship candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), in Nasarawa State, Yakubu Abdullahi Maidoya, says the party will form government in the state in 2023.
He said although the party is new, it has garnered enough strength and followership across the grassroots that will propel him to power.
He said the All Progressives Congress (APC) under the present administration has drawn the state backwards within the last seven and half years, adding that NNPP is on a salvage mission to steer the state on the path of development and growth.
He promised that his administration will grant full autonomy to the local government if given the mandate by the people.
He also pledged to make education free at the basic and secondary levels.
He made the pledge during a media dialogue organised by the Nasarawa State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Lafia, the state capital.
He said the current situation where local government areas and their chairmen are appendages of the state governors is not healthy, adding that the anomaly has stunted development at that tier of government.
He said council chairmen who are supposed to be independent, have become mere errand boys of the state executives, who superintended over council allocations.
“I want to assure you that I will grant full autonomy to local government to enable that tier of government to function optimally and provide dividends of democracy to the people.
“By granting them autonomy, chairmen will have direct access to the funds and will be able to use same to execute projects that have a direct bearing on the lives of the people at the grassroots,” he noted.
He chided governor Abdullahi Sule for “usurping” the responsibility of the council chairmen by embarking on statewide construction of markets and motor parks, saying such projects were within the purview of the chairmen.
The governorship candidate said introducing free education at the basic and secondary school level will take a lot of load off poor parents who can hardly meet their daily needs, adding that doing so will also encourage enrollment.
He equally said free education at that level will go a long way in checking the rising incidents of school dropouts which have gripped the north.
He said his administration will take over the payment of NECO and WAEC fees of all students in secondary schools in the state and also abolish Common Mock Examination fees.
The candidate promised that his administration will prioritise agriculture as a key driver of the state economy, while also developing the solid mineral sector by encouraging the private sector to take interest in the abundant deposits across the state among others.
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